STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 25 



these additional duties, would be but very little compared with the ad- 

 vantages gained. 



We commend the importance of this subject to the consideration of 

 this Convention, that the result of its deliberations may be laid before 

 the present Legislature. 



"We feel called upon here to remind the members of the society, and 

 all others interested in the general welfare of the State, that each indi- 

 vidual has it in his power to contribute much to the general fund of in- 

 formation, and much to the prosperity of the State, by taking close and 

 careful note of their several experiences, making memoranda of all use- 

 ful and interesting facts and discoveries, preserving specimens of natu- 

 ral curiosities, and forwarding the same to the Secretary of this Board. 

 As the gold from our innumerable and exhaustless mines, in every con- 

 ceivable form and degree of fineness, is forwarded to the Mint, there to 

 be assayed, coined, and stamped with a legal value, and then sent forth, 

 in times of quiet and peace, to supply the people with the means with 

 which to prosecute agriculture, to accomplish manufactures, and to 

 cover the high seas with the white sails of their merchant ships — and in 

 times of trouble to furnish the Government with the sinews of war — so 

 this information, these facts and discoveries, concentrated here, compared 

 with each other, tested by science, reduced to system, and stamped with 

 their real value, will go forth, in the former case, to give intelligent 

 direction to agricultural pursuits, scientific skill to manufacturing effort, 

 successful and profitable termination to mercantile voyages, and in the 

 latter case, superior and triumphal success in the application of the 

 sinews of war. 



At the beginning of the present year, the Board inaugurated the plan 

 of correspondence, by issuing circulars to individuals in every county in 

 the State, from whom reliable information may be obtained, touching 

 all the subjects for the encouragement of which the society was estab- 

 lished, and when any information of general interest is thus obtained, 

 they intend issuing reports of such information. And if individuals 

 Avill manifest the same interest and liberality in furnishing such infor- 

 mation as the press has in furnishing the society with journals and 

 papers, and opening those journals and papers as a medium of communi- 

 cation with the people in every part of the State, we may well antici- 

 pate satisfactory results from our efforts in this direction. 



One of the greatest difficulties in preparing for and conducting an An- 

 nual Fair satisfactorily is found in the selection of competent judges to 

 pass impartially upon the multiplicity of articles exhibited. If there 

 could be any mode devised by which exhibitors might select these judges, 

 the Board would gladly surrender this duty into their hands. It is not 

 so difficult a tax to name men in the State competent and impartial to 

 fill every committee, but the difficulty is in inducing such men to be 

 present at the time and place the duty is to be performed. 



To solve these difficulties the following plan is suggested as at least 

 worthy of trial : Suppose each committee to be composed of three per- 

 sons ; let the Board name nine for each, and publish their names and 

 the department in which they are to serve, with the premium list. Let 

 all the persons thus named who meet at the Fair, say on the first day, 

 cast lots to determine who shall serve. Tins mode will be likely to 

 secure the attendance of the requisite number, and will relieve all par- 

 ties of the charge of premeditated partiality. 



